In Scottish history, few names go farther back than Sutterland, whose ancestors lived among the clans of the Pictish tribe. The ancestors of the Sutterland family lived in the county of Sutherland in the north of Scotland. The name was derived from Old Norse suğr or "south" land, due to the area being south of Scandinavia and the Norse colonies in the Orkney and Shetland Islands. The Earls of Orkney referred to the Dales of Caithness as the Southland, even though they are in the more northern parts of Scotland. It was here that the great Lords of Freskin held their territory in the 11th century. They later intermarried with the great and royal house of Moray; hence, the three stars on the Sutherland coat of arms.

Sutterland Early Origins

The surname Sutterland was first found in Caithness (Gaelic: Gallaibh), the northern tip of Scotland, a Norse/Viking controlled region from the 9th century, which became the Earldom of Caithness, where they held a family seat from the 11th century. Their early Clan chiefs were styled the Lords of Freskin in the Dales of Caithness.

Sutterland Spelling Variations

Sutterland Spelling Variations

Although Medieval Scotland lacked a basic set of spelling rules, which meant that scribes recorded names according to their sounds it was not uncommon for the names of a father and son to be recorded differently. As a result, there are many spelling variations of Scottish single names. Sutterland has been written Sutherland, Sutherlan, Suderland and many more.

Sutterland Early History

Sutterland Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sutterland research. Another 879 words (63 lines of text) covering the years 1211, 1333, 1389, 1682, 1598, 1601, 1745, 1759, 1794, 1674, 1705, 1734, 1639, 1719, 1676, 1705, 1710 and 1768 are included under the topic Early Sutterland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sutterland Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sutterland Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

Thousands of Scots left their home country to travel to Ireland or Australia, or to cross the Atlantic for the North American colonies. The difficult crossing was an enormous hurdle, but those who survived found freedom and opportunity in ample measure. Some Scots even fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence. This century, their ancestors have become aware of the illustrious history of the Scots in North America and at home through Clan societies and other organizations. Passenger and immigration lists show many early and influential immigrants bearing the name Sutterland: James Sutherland known as the Yellow Haired James (Seumas Buidhe), led the mass migration sponsored by the Sutherland Transatlantic Friendly Association to the Selkirk settlement along the Red River Valley in mid western Canada. In 1814, 700 refugees from the Highland Clearances around Straconan sailed aboard the sailing ships Prince of Wales and the Eddystone..

Motto

Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Skordas, Guest. Ed. The Early Settlers of Maryland an Index to Names or Immigrants Complied from Records of Land Patents 1633-1680 in the Hall of Records Annapolis, Maryland. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1968. Print.

Moncrieffe, Sir Ian of That Ilk and David Hicks. The Highland Clans The Dynastic Origins, Cheifs and Background of the Clans. New York: C.N. Potter, 1968. Print.

The Sutterland Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Sutterland Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.